How Cannabis Could Keep Illinois Teens Out Of Trouble

In Bloomington, Illinois, at-risk kids could be about to get the summer jobs of their lives.

Curative Health, Inc. — a subsidiary of New York medical marijuana corp Columbia Care LLC — just donated $20k to the the Bloomington city council in order to create jobs for at-risk kids.

Illinois state guidelines recommend that cannabis companies build good relationships with local government reps, so they’ll be able to aid in harm reduction and anti-substance abuse programs. And that’s the basis for the Curative Health donation, which was reportedly suggested by Mayor Tari Renner.

Of course, the company has other simultaneous goals: namely, operating dispensaries where they believe they’ll do the most good for patients. Although it’s unlikely that Columbia Care can possibly get a license to open up in Bloomington at this late date, we do know for sure that they’re heavily invested in the public good.

According to The Pantagraph, Renner suggested that the plan be shaped after a 2013 program that brought together church organizations and the city to stand behind youth. When Columbia Care didn’t receive the dispensary license they’d hoped for, Renner figured the city would probably not receive their donation — but the company surprised him in a great way.

In an interview with that paper, Columbia Care CEO Nicholas Vita explained that “[w]e view our business as being stewards of programs for the state where there is unmet need. …And Mayor Renner’s program really resonated with us. It was an unmet need and it seemed to be timely.”

We just want to know: could these jobs prepare these kids for lucrative careers in the cannabis industry? (And where can we sign up to get involved?)